Returning
by Lioness's Heart
Summary: Oneshot, post Invincible AU. Jaina Solo failed. She's being held captive by Caedus, while the others try to figure out how to save her and bring down the Sith Lord. Someone has to help, and there's only one person who can, but he's dead, right?


**Disclaimer: Oh, how I would love for this to be mine…but alas, it all belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd.**

**A/N: Well, this is my first time posting something in the Star Wars/NJO section, so…yeah…this is based on a challenge from abyssgirl – the prompt was 'Did you see what he just did?' I think I got everybody a bit, if not alot, out of character, so please forgive me if I did.**

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The Netherworld of the Force was a peaceful place. At one time, it was rarely disturbed, even by the Sith. Now was a different time. Now, a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Caedus had turned the peaceful abyss on its head.

Far off, on an all too familiar jungle planet, a lone figure stood. He was an ethereal being, at the most. The glow of an inner blue light shrouded his face from any onlookers that might happen by.

"Why do you stand here, my boy?" The young man turned, icy light azure eyes flicked over the wraith that appeared out of the mists.

"I stand here because I need to. I stand here because I there is no one left to stand against him. I have to do something, Vergere," he told his new companion. Unruly dark hair fell into his eyes, shadowing the look of deep disappointment in his eyes. "Caedus defeated Jaina. He's holding her a prisoner, to make an example out of her, for the rest of the family. There's no one left. Something has to be done." He paused, staring off into the mists of the jungle moon.

The other, Vergere, moved closer to him. "You know what to do, youngling. Do as I have taught you. You know that only you can do it. Only you can save him." With that, his fellow Force-wraith disappeared from sight, leaving him to his thoughts.

Now his mind was made up. It was the second chance that he never thought that he would have. All he had to do was recreate what had been destroyed. He could stop the war that would send the galaxy into utter chaos and stop the destruction. He could even save her, the one he loved. Maybe there was a chance for him after all.

After another few moments, he settled down to begin his little project and pick his destination.

Halfway across the galaxy, on Coruscant, a small group of Jedi sat around an even smaller table deep in the cityscape. Jedi Masters Luke Skywalker, Kyp Durron, and Corran Horn, Jedi Knights Valin Horn and Zekk, and Jedi Apprentice Ben Skywalker sat quietly, each pondering what their plan needed to be. They had to bring down Caedus, and this was their last chance.

He'd captured Jaina when she'd tried to defeat him. He wouldn't kill her, but he tortured her. All of them could feel both her mental and her physical agony through the Force. She'd failed. It was tearing her up that she'd failed. She had been her brother's last hope for redemption. Now she just wished that he would get it over with and kill her like she knew he was planning.

"We'll have to sneak into his quarters, or there's no chance," Zekk said. "He doesn't leave his quarters very much anymore, unless he has to." The young Jedi placed a datapad on the table. He pressed a button, and a hologram appeared. The layout of the building where Caedus's apartment appeared over the screen. "We can enter here," he indicated a duct that would take them directly to the Sith Lord's quarters. "Jace-Caedus does his training there. If we can get the timing right, then we can ambush him, and take him down," the dark haired Jedi told the rest of the group.

Kyp shook his head. "No, that won't work. He won't fight us if we all go in. He'll run. He knows that the Jedi Masters have been attacking him in groups since he nearly killed Kyle. He won't go for it if all six of us go at him. He'll make a run for it and either take his little apprentice with him, or send her to get rid of us at the cost of her life." The Jedi Master glared at the wall, almost, almost wanting to take out his fury on something.

He'd watched Jacen and Jaina grow up. It hurt him to see that the innocent, animal-crazy, bad-joke-cracking Jacen Solo had become the dark, ruthless psychopathic Darth Caedus. It hurt him just as much to think that Han was going to lose both of his sons. Anakin's death had been an accident, but also a sacrifice. Anakin had been willing to die for the Jedi, and for his family. Jacen had to be killed. There was no one left to try to save him. Even Luke had given up, for all that Luke had seen the light within Darth Vader, who had been given up as lost by everyone else.

"And I suppose you have a better idea?" Zekk challenged. Kyp turned his glare on the younger Jedi.

"No, but you can't kill what you can't catch." Zekk promptly shut his mouth, but glared at Kyp. He muttered something about Kyp being an 'arrogant git' under his breath before the Jedi Master decided to ignore him.

It was then that Ben and Corran noticed the blue glow that was growing of its own accord on the opposite side of the small room. The two exchanged glances, Corran's hand flying to his lightsaber.

"What can we do, then?" Valin asked, voicing the question that was on Zekk and Kyp's minds. No one said anything, while Ben and Corran watched as the glow continued to grow in size and strength.

_What in the world is it?_ Corran wondered. He'd been a Jedi for thirty years and had never seen anything like it before, and he'd seen some pretty interesting things.

A frown creased Ben's forehead, there was something coming from whatever the light was. It was...a presence of some sort, just barely there. He felt like he should know who it was, but it wouldn't come to him. He shot a glance at his father, who seemed to have noticed it. Zekk and Kyp were still glaring at each other, but Valin, too, had noticed it.

The glow began to take form as clouds. The clouds sparked and fizzled with power as whatever it was grew closer. They expanded, mist flowing toward the Jedi. Kyp and Zekk had begun talking again, arguing about what had to be done, and whether they would try to turn Caedus or kill him. "Then what's the point!? There's no one who can stand up to him anymore!" Zekk yelled.

A brilliant flash of light filled the room, followed by a bang that rocked the building, knocking all of them to the ground. They all looked up to see that the cloud had become a vortex. The energies flowing from it were almost overwhelming Light Side waves.

Within a few seconds, all six of them were on their feet, lightsabers in their hands and ignited. Seconds crawled by, then a minute, then two. They finally began to relax when a dark shape hurtled out of the misty vortex. It skidded across the ground and rolled into Corran, knocking the Jedi Master into his two colleagues, who caught him.

"Ow," the shape said, rolling onto its back. Everyone but Ben gasped when the person got to his feet and stepped into the light.

"Did you – What the – How did – Did you see what he just did??" The incredulous Zekk demanded. No one else spoke as the Jedi gazed upon a fallen hero who had returned. The silence was heavy on the air until Valin broke it by stepping forward and offering the other young man a hand in friendship.

"It's good to see you again, my friend. You haven't changed a bit." A lopsided grin split the ice-eyed youth's face, and he grasped his old friend's hand. He turned to Luke, still grinning.

"Is there room on your team for one more, Uncle Luke?" He asked. Anakin Solo was back, and he meant business. No one was going to bring down the galaxy on his watch.

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**A/N: Leave a review, please – it would mean alot to me, and I'd like to know if I'm any good at writing Star Wars fics.**


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